ATLANTA - Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency in Bartow and Gordon counties, areas that were hardest hit during a suspected tornado Wednesday afternoon.
The Red Cross has opened shelters to serve up to 35 people in Bartow County Wednesday following the storm, said Georgia Emergency Management Agency Director Charley English. It was not immediately clear how many homes in Bartow County were impacted by the storm.
The suspected tornado killed one person in a mobile home in Adairsville - about 60 miles northwest of Atlanta, and emergency officials have said nine others were injured in Bartow County. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, state officials said the storm caused severe damage at a mobile home park and a hotel in Adairsville. State Route 140 was closed through Bartow County as crews worked to repair fallen power lines, and I-75 had reopened by 5 p.m. after an overturned semi-truck was moved to the side of the highway.
Eight people were injured in Gordon County - north of Bartow - and two of the injured were in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, Deal said. He added that between 50 and 100 homes in Gordon county may have been impacted by the storm.
Authorities say no one has been reported missing after the storm, and crews hope to complete search and rescue efforts by 10 p.m.